


Painting the Hurt

by HPfanonezillion



Series: Peeta Paints on Katniss [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Flashback, Hurt, Pain, Painting, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6602908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPfanonezillion/pseuds/HPfanonezillion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss walks in to find Peeta in the wake of a flashback coping in a way that is uniquely him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Painting the Hurt

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Tumblr booksrockmyface. This was inspired by this post: http://jenna-luke.tumblr.com/post/120655287828/when-u-wanna-hurt-yourself-so-u-paint-instead

Katniss came into the house with her game bag full. She had field dressed everything, but it all still needed to be cleaned and readied for the freezer. The house was quiet. It was quiet most of the time, but this was unusual.

She dropped her bag beside the back door and shed her coat. She kicked off her boots as she walked through the house. “Peeta?” She called.

“The studio.” He called after a slight hesitation.

She walked to the door and looked in.

Peeta sat with his arm stretched on a table. He had paint scattered everywhere and his arm was covered in an elaborate scene. Katniss stepped forward and saw the faces of the fallen people they had cared about and who they had fought alongside. He was working on the detail of Prim’s face. All of it was from memory.

“Peeta?” She asked softly.

He didn’t look up. “I wanted to hurt myself.”

“You what?” Her heart was in her throat.

“I had a flashback and I came out of it wanting to hurt myself.” He got more paint on his brush. “So I came in here to find something to do it and saw the paint and changed my mind.” He finally looked up and she saw tears streaming down his face. “It never stops hurting.”

“And it’s never going to. It may get a little less painful, but it’s always going to hurt.” She combed her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead. “I love you.”

“Real?”

“Very real.” She wiped away his tears. “I’ll leave you to this.” She kissed his lips.

“Don’t leave me.” He begged. “I know you probably have game to dress, but I just felt so alone…”

Katniss pulled a chair over and sat beside Peeta as he finished out the painting on his arm. “You can do mine next if you still need time.”

He smiled gratefully. “I think I’ll be fine after this.”

“I hope so.” She rested her hand on his thigh and watched him paint away the pain.


End file.
